Mechanical display apparatus



Sept. 11, 1928.

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sept. 11 192s. 1,683,990

A. M. SCHICK MECHANICAL DISPLAY APPARTUS Filed Deo. 15, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheo 2 l NVELNTOE wz. im

Patented Sept. 11, 19278.

UNITED sTATEst 1,683,9ec PATENT OFFICE. l

'ADOLPH M; scirioiccr WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.'v

MECHANICAL DISPLAY APPARATUS.

Application iled December 15V, 1926. Serial No.y 155,071.

. This invention relates broadly to advertising and display apparatus, and it Vhas for its primary object to provide a novel mechanical structure embodying rotary mempbers which are adapted for carrying a plurality of inscriptions or legends and which' are periodically rotated for successively presenting such inscriptions to view.

A further obj ect is to provide a mechanism` of the character mentioned which is adapted for use in the show windows of shops, stores and the like, or which may be carried upon the rear ends of road vehicles, as trolley cars and automobiles, andwhich, in the former case, may be actuated yby a magnet coil, in-

termittently energized, and which, in the f With these and other objects in view, the

invention-resides inthe features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements, which will hereinafter 'be fully panying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the invention having associated therewithelectrical means whereby it maybe actuated intermitf tently, a portion ofthe front wall of the casing being broken away; v

Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2, Fig. 1; Figure 3 is an upper end view of the same;

Figure 4 is L'an enlarged detail view of the ratchet and pawlmechanism;

Figure 5 is an enlarged end elevation of one of the rotary inscription carriers, showing the letter-carrying'. members or blocks mounted thereon;

vFigure 6 is anv enlarged detail sectio showing a means of connecting the actuating means to the movable member, or arm, ,ofr

the figures shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Fig. l, showing an inertia controlled weight arranged to actuate the inscription carriers; y

Figure 8 is a section on line 8--8, Fig. 7

' and Figures 9 and lOare enlarged views in end and front elevation, respectively, vof a removable letter carrying member. Y

described, reference being had to` the accom-V Referring to said drawings, 1 designates a casing, herein shown as rectangular in front and end elevation. Joui'naled within said casing, as upon rigidly carried` vertical supports2, are the opposite ends of a vplurality of horizontally disposed inscription carriers 3, hereinafter termed rollers, each of `which ismade polygonal in end elevation,

providing aV plurality of longitudinally eX- tending flat faces, each designed lto carry thereon4 an inscription or legend which is readable through a ywindow slot 4 provided in the front wall 1a of said casing. VVhile such inscriptions may be applieddirectly to said rollerfaces, it is preferred that the Same be formed by successions of interchangeable letterr bearing blocks .5, which are suitably Y mounted on the faces of the rollers. l yAs herein shown4 for .illustrative purposes, each block 5 carries on the rear face thereof a horizontally disposed dove-tail tongue 5a adapted to be inserted lengthwise and to be slidable to position in a longitudinal channel 6 of like form provided therefor in each Vof said roller faces.

Suitable gearing vis provided whereby rotary motion imparted to one of the rollers 3 is communicated to the remaining rollers, thus'providing for simultaneous movement of said rollers.' As herein illustrated, motion imparted directly tovltheimiddle of the three rollers shown is communicated to the upper roller through intermeshing gears 7 and 8 respectively carried thereby, and in likev manner the'gear meshes with a gear 9 carried by the lower roller for effecting driving of the latter.` Y y The. directly driven roller carries upon an Vend thereof .a ratchet wheel 10 provided with a numberofteeth l()Z1 corresponding to the number of inscription faces borneby the so v rollers;and engaged with said ratchet is a pawl l1 carried by an end offan angular ever l2 whichlis pivotallymounted intermediate its ends in an appropriate position, as upon the bracket 13 carried by the adjacent end Wallof the casing 1. A weight 14 borne by the opposite end of said lever normally occupies a pendent position, holding the lever in substantially vertical position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 7`and 8, being maintained in said. position by the force of gravity, thus normally maintaining the ratchet 10 and the roller stationary. However, when the weighted lower end of the lever is swung back to, or'toward, the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 8, or when the casing 1 is rocked back, as shown inbroken lines in Fig. 2, the pawl 11 is carried forward to the extent that the ratchet is thereby rotated throughout the fraction'l of a revolution required to present ,inr regisf ter with a window opening or slot l ofthe casing the next successive face yof the ratchet,`

carrying roller. Y

While any other appropriate type of actuatingl mechanism may be employed, as

when thev apparatus is employed in show windows, I' have shown in Figs. l and 2, ac-

- varm gravitates to the extent that advance rotation ofthe Iratchet is actuated, as hereinbefo're explained. Then the magnet 151s againk deenergized, the'v casingV returns by gravity to its normal upright position and' the pawl 11 is retracted to the point where it engages the next vsucceeding tooth of the ratchet. f' 7 j The casing 1 may be rigidly mounted upon the rear endl of an automobile or other vehicle, in which case the weightllll swings forward toward the rear Wall ofthe casing by reason of its own inertia upon a more or or less sudden retardation of the velocity'of the vehicle, as when the brakes-'are applied.

Such movement-of the weight from its normal position, shown in full `lines lin Fig.l 8 substantially tothe position shown iii broken lines in said figurec'auses the pawl 11 to advance the ratchet 10 to rotate for presenting to the window slots of the casing the I" f attention thereto. The mechanism hereinnext succeeding inscription-bearing faces of the rollers 3. v f

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, oneor more figures or images of animate'objects, asthe :figuresl may be superposed on the casingV 1 at or adjacent to the rear wall of the latter,

Veach Vhaving a pivotally mounted part or member,as an arm 19, which is adapted' tol be'moved from time tortime'` for attracting shown for illustrative purposes, whereby said arms are actuated Vcomprises a shortlever arm fiXedon, each arm^19 and connected by a vertically disposed rod 21 to an end of a lever22 which isrpivoted intermediate its ends upon a bracket 23 fixed Von said rear wall ofthe casing. The opposite end of said lever 22 is connected vby a pivotedy link 25 tothe pawl-'carrying lever 12 hcrein before referred to, being directed through a slot 24 provided'in said casing-wall.' When the casing rocks back to thebroken line position shown in Fig. 2, the weighted lever 12 acts through the ,intermediate connections described to swing the arms 19 in a. more orf` lesslife-likemanner to elevated positions.

1. In a display mechanism, a pivotedl cas-` ing,` rollers Vjournaled within saidl casing, each roller having 4a plurality of inscriptionA` bearing 'faces adapted to be successively eX? posed through the front-loflsaid' casing,-aL ratchet carried byoneof said rollers; a'member pivoted upon a fixed part of the casing, a pawl carried by saidinember for opera'- tivelyl engagingV said ratchet, a weight normally maintaining said member in a prede-- teimined position v4relative lto the casing, and p -clectrical means whereby sai-d casingY may be yrocked on itsf pivotal mounting relative to said weight for imparting rotary move# ment to said one roller, and' gearing between said one roller and the other rollers whereby-` rotation ofthe former is simultaneously: communicatedto the latter.: f lV '2. Ina display ,apparatus for vehicles, the combination with a casing having journaled rotative devices provided'with inscription'- bearing faces adapted-to be successively displayed, andl-means for intermittentlyy` advancing said devices,`said' means including a pivoted member normallyY held by gravity in a predeterminedv position relative 'to said casingfand shiftable from said position by reason'of its own'iner'tia upon retardation of the velocity rof the casingvcarrying vehicle,"- of means for attracting attent-ionvto'saiddevices,"saidA -means comprising a pivoted :ig-

ure located exteriorto'uthecasing, andlink and lever mechanism intermediatesaid grave' ity controlled memberl` and said pivoted figure whereby movementl `of `the formerA imparteV to the latter. animated movements.l

In testimony whereof, l ailix my signature;y

ADQLPHM. sonreir. f 

